The Fallen
by galabad
Summary: A disgraced Jedi faced with removal of his Force abilities defects from the Order.
1.

This was it. He could feel it.  
  
The nearly six foot tall form of Xandro Janus stalked through the streets  
of Coruscant towards the building that housed the Jedi Council chamber.  
Dressed completely in a single shade of black, he was visible only as a void,  
darker than the night itself. He sped onward, his silence broken only when  
his boot landed in a puddle filled by the light rain that showered the  
endless city. He stopped suddenly when the corner of his eye caught a flash  
of movement in the nearby alley, prompting him to instinctively place his  
hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. He cursed at his jumpiness when a rat  
scuttled from the darkness up to his boot, which lashed viciously at the  
small creature. Even in a good mood, Xandro was not someone to trifle with.  
  
And he was definitely not in a good mood.  
  
At last he had reached his destination. He rushed brusquely past the  
guards at the door and into the Council building. The light coating of rain  
lent a silvery sheen to his cloak as he withdrew his hood, uncovering a crop  
of short black hair. He stepped into the main hall elevator and indicated  
that he wished to get to the Council Chamber. Seconds later, the lift doors  
opened and he was greeted by a pair of heavily armed guards.  
  
"The Council is expecting you, Master Janus," said one of the guards.  
  
"Rapture," Janus replied sarcastically. He strode defiantly through the  
open doors of the chamber. He took his place in the center of the room as the  
doors slid shut behind him. "You summoned me?"  
  
Mace Windu leaned forward. "Yes, Xandro. I'm afraid we did."  
  
*Here it comes,* Janus thought.  
  
"Much anger and guilt you have, since the accident," came the raspy voice  
of the ancient Yoda. "Pathways to the dark side, these are."  
  
"We are all aware of your circumstances," Mace stated. "However, you  
have resisted several attempts by Jedi Masters to help you sort out your  
emotions."  
  
Xandro's steely gray eyes narrowed. "I don't need anyone's help."  
  
"And your recent offenses on Dathomir are inexcusable for a Jedi," Mace  
continued. We have deliberated carefully on the subject, and the Council has  
reached a decision. I'm afraid we have no choice but to dismiss you from the  
Knighthood. Please hand over your lightsaber."  
  
Xandro clenched his fists with rage. He had seen this coming, but that  
fact did not make it any easier to take. He slowly reached into his cloak  
and removed the saber from his belt. He stared at its gleaming silver hilt  
decorated with the engraving of a serpent coiling its way up the handle to  
the guard, then placed it into Windu's outstretched hand.  
  
The rest of the Council somberly bowed their heads as the chamber doors  
whooshed open and two large droids floated in. Each was elliptical  
in shape with a definite head and two long, strong looking arms. "Follow   
the escort droids, you will," Yoda commanded. "Complete the process they   
must."  
  
Xandro spun on his heel and left the chamber, bracketed by the droids.  
They boarded the elevator and started to descend. "Say, fellas," he said to   
the droids, "where are we going?"  
  
"To the laboratories in the lower levels of the Council building.   
Preparations for the process are almost complete."  
  
"Ah, yes, the process. What is that all about, again?"  
  
"Genetic alteration."  
  
Xandro was taken aback for a split second. "Excuse me?"   
  
"Your genetic structure will be altered to lower your midi-chlorian   
count, effectively nullifying your sensitivity to the Force. You will live   
a normal and healthy life, but without your Jedi powers.  
  
"Hmm...." Janus stood in silence, as if contemplating something. "No,"   
he finally said, "I'm afraid that simply will not do."  
  
The emergency hatch at the top of the elevator flung open and Xandro  
leapt through it, catching the edge of one of the doors that lined the shaft.  
Below him, the car came to a sudden stop before ascending towards him. He let  
go of the door with one hand, forming it into a fist and slowly spreading the  
fingers apart. As he did so, the doors slid open with a reluctant groan.  
Xandro pulled himself through the doors and rolled to an upright position on  
the floor beyond. He spun around and forced the doors to close just as the  
lift car came into view. The silent air was suddenly filled with the blaring  
of sirens and flashing red emergency lights. "Intruder alert," came a cold  
metallic voice over the public address speakers. "Intruder alert."  
  
Xandro pulled his cloak's hood over his head and sprinted down a random  
hall. A slight twinge signaled his Force-enhanced reflexes to duck and roll  
just as a laser turret descended from the ceiling and fired. The red beam  
seared the section of wall where he had been standing a split second before.  
Shouts of "Halt, intruder!" rang out behind him, and he knew his droid  
escorts were not far behind. He used his powers to boost his speed, blurring  
past laser turrets faster than they could track him.  
  
He slowed to round a corner and found a pair of battle droids waiting for  
him. Before they could bring their rifles to bear, Xandro thrust out his hand  
and sent one droid crashing into the other, neutralizing them both. He  
hopped over the wreckage and rushed the door at the end of the hall,  
aware that the hovering escort droids were closing on him. The door flung  
open before him and he sprinted through it, shutting it behind him. He   
pointed at a heavy cabinet to his left, then at the door, and the cabinet   
moved to block the portal.  
  
Xandro sighed, grateful for a chance to catch his breath. he grinned to  
himself and turned into the room, then froze. His grin disappeared as six  
destroyer droids emerged from the shadows at the edges of the room and   
trained their weapons on him. Xandro quickly weighed his options as he   
surveyed his surroundings. Just a basic office furnished with chairs,   
cabinets and a desk positioned in front of a large window. Nothing that   
would so much as scratch one of his opponents. Even with his saber it would   
have been a difficult fight, and the modified Blastech DL-44 he carried   
would not penetrate their defense shields.  
  
Seconds later, something pounded heavily on the blockaded door. "Surrender  
now, Janus. There is no escape!" One of the destroyer droids scurried over to  
the door and shoved the cabinet out of the way, allowing the two escort droids  
to enter the room. Janus backed away from the escorts until he bumped into  
the desk, the destroyers' weapons constantly tracking him. "Come peacefully,  
or there will be trouble," one of the escorts droned. A pair or restraining  
cuffs emerged from a hatch in its side, and it started to hover towards the  
trapped Jedi.  
  
Janus gave a defeated sigh, hung his head and extended his wrists for the  
escort. "Ok, then," he said dejectedly. Just as the droid was about to  
restrain him, Xandro lifted his head and thrust his hands beneath the droid's  
thick arms. "Trouble it is."  
  
Gripping the machine tightly, he bounded onto the desk and the two of  
them crashed through the window. The escort droid shunted full power to its  
hovering mechanism, slowing their descent. The two drifted downward  
through the elevated streets and byways of Coruscant while cannon fire  
erupted from the shattered window. "Thanks for the ride, but this is my stop,"  
Janus told the escort. He kicked off the droid's side and landed on an  
elevated street as the escort continued downward.  
  
Speeders and hover cars swerved to avoid the sudden obstacle, and several  
crashed into each other. Xandro took off running down the street, leaping over  
vehicles that appeared in his way. Just when he thought he was in the clear,  
a blue laser bolt crackled over his right shoulder and burned a molten crater  
into the street. An approaching speeder caught its nose on the rim of the  
hole and flipped over onto its top. Xandro rolled to one side, narrowly  
avoiding the steaming wreckage. As he did so, he spotted a trio of battle  
droids approaching on STAP pods, resembling flying scooters.  
  
Janus slunk into the sudden huddle of traffic. Spotting a young man  
on a swoop, he sprung into the air and landed on the seat behind the driver.  
The stunned man turned around as Xandro shoved him onto the street. "Sorry,"  
he shouted above the din of screams and cannon fire, "official Jedi   
business!" With that he sped off, using the capsized speeder as a ramp to   
jump over the guard rail on the edge of the street.  
  
The Jedi plummeted through the cavernous void with the battle droids in  
hot pursuit. He managed to maneuver onto another street and began to dodge  
and weave through the traffic, sparks erupting from the underside of the  
swoop as it scraped the ground. More than one driver emerged from his vehicle  
to shout a few choice words at the Jedi, but quickly forgot the careless  
piloting as the trio of pods sped past. Xandro pulled onto an exit ramp and  
accelerated towards the lowest levels of Coruscant. One of the pods broke  
formation and closed in on Janus. The Jedi slammed on the swoop's air brakes,  
forcing the pod to overshoot him. Xandro drew his blaster and fired twice at  
the pod, striking its engines and the droid itself. The STAP spun out of  
control and erupted into a fireball on contact with a nearby building.  
  
Xandro turned to fire at the remaining STAPS, but the blaster clicked   
dry. The Jedi cursed and gunned his tiny hover cycle onward. The pods   
followed him into a large city grid. Xandro cut his swoop around corners and   
down alleys, but could not shake his pursuers. Suddenly he spotted a narrow   
storm drain cut into the side of a small hill. He sped into the drain,   
ducking his head as he did so. The pods, too large to follow, began to veer   
away. The lead pod was too close, however, and its pilot was decapitated on   
the lip of the drain.  
  
Xandro heard a crash behind him, and looked to find the flaming remains of  
a pod flying through the drain at him. He punched his vehicle to full speed  
and reached the egress just as the wreckage shot from the end of the pipe. He  
scanned the sky for the last pod, but saw no sign of it. There was a loud  
clang, and the swoop abruptly decelerated. Janus looked behind him to find a  
plasteel cable linking him to the pod. The swoop, still at full thrust,  
strained at the cable and threatened to snap it. The droid increased speed to  
lessen the strain rather than lose its quarry.  
  
The swoop bucked forward, but the Jedi knew there was no way to  
outmaneuver his opponent now. The pod had held its fire so far, but Janus  
knew that wouldn't last forever. He steered into a marketplace bustling with  
pedestrians and small kiosks. Screaming crowds scattered as the two vehicles  
shot past. Seeing a clearing, Janus swerved onto a sidewalk and shifted all  
his vehicle's power into the vertical thrusters. The swoop jumped upward and  
straight into the path of an advertising sign which jutted from the side of a  
building. Xandro dropped off the side of the swoop just as it slammed into  
the sign, showering the street with sparks. The pod continued flying until  
the cable drew taught with the still attached swoop, now embedded in the sign.  
The stress tore the STAP apart and flung its pilot into the side of a delivery  
truck, destroying both machines.  
  
Xandro rolled to his feet and lunged into a nearby alley. Several brave  
and curious bystanders tried to follow, but the Jedi had vanished as if  
swallowed whole by the darkness. 


	2. 

Few people noticed as a dark figure stepped into the seedy Underworld  
night club. Most of them were too busy gyrating on the immense black  
ferrocrete floor, stained every imaginable color by years of spilled drinks  
and other, less palatable fluids. On a one story high stage at the far end  
of the club, two humans, a piglike Gamorrean and a pale green Rodian belted   
out the ear-splitting cacophony that passed for music in the lower levels of   
Coruscant.  
  
Those who did notice the stranger, however, sensed an easy mark. A pair  
of large, muscular Twi'leks clad in a curious array of steel and leather  
made their way towards him, brain tails twitching. Unable to raise their   
voices above the din, they let their vicious-looking serrated knives do the   
talking for them. The stranger answered by slightly parting his jet black   
cloak to reveal the handle of a heavy blaster pistol. The Twi'leks conceded   
this discussion to the newcomer and slunk off in search of a more favorable   
conversation.  
  
The stranger shoved his way through the undulating crowd towards a heavy  
durasteel door in one of the side walls. A stray female of one species or  
another would occasionally approach the cloaked figure for a dance, but a  
flash of his cold gray eyes conveyed the message that he was not in the mood.  
  
He emerged from the sea of dancers just in front of the door and knocked  
on it five times. A slit opened near the top of the door and a pair of dark  
yellow eyes peered through. "Blue canary in the outlet!" came a gruff voice  
from inside, barely audible over the band.  
  
"By the light switch!" came the reply. The slit slid shut and there was a  
series of heavy clangs and the grate of metal against metal. Finally the door  
opened inward and the figure stepped through. He was greeted by what seemed  
to be an average Gamorrean, albeit nearly nine feet tall. The stranger paused  
for a second and looked the porcine creature up and down. "What the stang do   
they feed you?" he inquired as he proceeded through an open doorway to the   
chamber beyond. The Gamorrean snorted loudly and slammed the metal door   
behind him.  
  
The relative quiet was a relief, although the dimly lit parlor didn't do  
much to calm the nerves. The papered walls were yellowed with age and  
streaked with dark stains best left unexamined. The weak, dust covered lamps  
overhead flickered as if they would expire at any moment. A few rickety tables  
and chairs with torn and dusty upholstery were scattered around the room. The  
stranger followed a faint hum to a small refrigerator, which revealed itself  
to be empty except for a half-eaten ryshcate. "Don't get many visitors here,  
do you, Goja?"  
  
"Xandro, is that you?" came a voice like the keening of a buzzsaw. A  
rickety wooden door creaked open in the opposite side of the room. The bent  
figure of a man barely five feet tall shuffled into the room with a slight  
limp. "Haven't seen you in a Hutt's age. But then, Jedi are not a big part  
of our clientele." Goja pulled back his lips in a weak smile, revealing a  
wicked set of sharp but crooked yellow teeth. "What brings you here?"  
  
Xandro stroked absently at the dark pencil-thin moustache and short,   
neatly trimmed beard that framed his thin face. "I came to arrange a flight.   
Off-planet. And, uh, I need a recharge on this." He opened his cloak and drew   
his blaster, laying it gently on a rotting table.  
  
Goja stared at the weapon in confusion. "A flight and a blaster charge?  
That's it? My friend, you came a long way to get something that your precious  
Jedi Council could easily provide." A hint of disgust invaded his voice when  
he mentioned Xandro's former comrades.  
  
"I'm afraid the Council does not provide for me any more."  
  
"What?" Goja spun around, his long black wiry hair whipping about his  
head. He noticed for the first time his friend's bare belt. "Wh-where's your  
lightsaber? Jedi are never without their sabers!" He straightened a bit and  
stared into his Xandro's eyes as a chilling realization dawned on him. "You  
don't mean...the Council...you've been...."  
  
"I have been excommunicated from the Knighthood," Janus confirmed. "The  
Council confiscated my lightsaber, but I escaped before they could strip my  
powers."  
  
Goja was incredulous. "Escaped? You mean...." He leaned closer to Xandro  
and lowered his voice. "You mean you're on the run from the Jedi Council?"  
The little man threw his hands into the air. "How in the...what did you...do  
you know how much trouble I could get into for helping you?"  
  
"Oh, come on, I know you've dealt with fugitives before."  
  
"Not from the Jedi!" Goja looked as if he would explode at any second,  
then hung his head and sighed. "All right. You've saved my skin more than  
once, I can do this for you. Where would you like to go?"  
  
"Good question."  
  
Goja retrieved an energy clip from a cabinet along a wall. "Well, at  
least you've put some thought into it," he quipped.  
  
"Hey, I've been busy," Janus answered as he slid the clip into his  
blaster.  
  
"Uh huh. How about Bakura? You have some family there, as I recall."  
  
"No, that's the first place they'd look for me."  
  
"How about going back to Dathomir?"  
  
"Not if I can help it." Janus saw his comrade's inquiring look. "Remember  
what happened there a month ago?"  
  
Goja's jaw dropped. "That was you?" Xandro flushed slightly and averted   
his gaze. "Well, you really have been busy," Goja snickered. "And it's no  
wonder the Council wants you kept in check." He picked up a tattered  
leather bound book from a nearby table and began to leaf through it. "Ah,  
here's something. I have a flight leaving for Alderaan in half an hour. The  
Jedi would never suspect you to travel to such a high-profile location."  
  
"Alderaan," Xandro repeated as if trying to decide whether he liked the  
taste of the name. "You're right, it may throw them off the trail, at least  
for a day or two."  
  
"It's certainly a safe enough planet," Goja agreed. "I mean, what's the  
worst that could happen? A gigantic battle station blasts it out of the sky?"  
He and Xandro exchanged glances before erupting with laughter.  
  
"Oh, Goja, you always were a joker!"  
  
The small man handed Janus a boarding pass and a key. "I have a speeder  
parked behind the club. It's not much, but it will get you to the spaceport.  
Go to docking bay 6 and show the pilot this pass. And good luck."  
  
Xandro's hand clasped Goja's. "I won't forget this, my friend."  
  
"Hmmph. See that you don't!", Goja shouted as the Jedi rushed past the  
guard into the chaos of the dance floor. 


	3. 

"M'rath!"  
  
Xandro scampered as quickly as he could up the face of the sand dune, but  
the loose sand and punishing winds slowed him to a crawl. Finally, he reached  
the apex of the dune and pulled his cloak up to his eyes to shield them from  
the airborne debris. "M'rath, where are you?"  
  
"Master!" came a cry, barely audible over the roar of the wind. Xandro  
immediately began to slide down the side of the dune towards the voice, all  
the while scanning for a sign of his comrade. The wind abated slightly,  
and Xandro spotted a pair of figures on the horizon. One of the figures was  
lying on the ground, obviously injured, while the other figure stood over the  
first, a dark green lightsaber poised to strike.  
  
Xandro knew that he could not reach the scene in time. He came to a stop  
and drew his heavy blaster. Taking careful aim, he squeezed the trigger and  
a bolt of crimson light lanced through the desert air, striking the standing  
figure's left hand. The figure dropped his weapon and clutched the hand to   
his body, doubling over with pain.  
  
Xandro called on the Force to boost his speed and raised rooster tails  
behind him as he streaked across the sand. "I'm coming, M'rath!" he called.  
Even as he approached the two, he could see M'rath leap to his feet.  
  
"I will finish him, master!" M'rath charged his stooped foe. Just before  
he could pounce, the hunched figure lashed out with its right hand. The sun  
reflected a flash of light as a dagger plunged deep into M'rath's chest.  
  
Xandro Janus gasped and bolted upright in his bunk, his forehead  
glistening with a cold sweat. He closed his eyes and let himself calm down  
for a moment before swinging his feet onto the cold metal floor and shuffling  
to the head. The bright light streaming from the sanitized white room dazzled  
him. He leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on his face. For a long  
while he stared at his reflection in the mirror over the basin as if trying  
to peer into his own eyes for some kind of answer. Finally he seemed to  
abandon his search and trudged back into his quarters to dress.  
  
The quarters weren't bad, either. A nice large bed with a nightstand on   
either side, a small table and chairs, and a private head. *I gotta hand it  
to Goja,* Xandro thought. *He got me some nice accommodations. You trade in  
the weapons on one of these Carrack-class cruisers for passenger suites and  
you've got a halfway decent liner.*  
  
He pulled one of the chairs over to his cabin window and peered out. He  
was surprised to see that the ship had entered a somewhat sparse asteroid   
field while he was asleep. The floating rocks were a welcome break from the  
monotony of stars he had seen in the two days since leaving Coruscant. He   
had stayed in his cabin almost the entire time, trying to avoid contact with  
the other passengers on the off chance that someone might recognize him as  
a fugitive from the Jedi Council. Surely by now the Council had issued a   
call for his arrest throughout the Jedi community.   
  
His thoughts turned to Alderaan. Even if no one knew that he was on his   
way to the planet, it wouldn't take long for him to be discovered on such a   
major world. He guessed that he had one or two days at the most to make a   
move once he made planetfall.   
  
Suddenly a bright light appeared among the asteroids. At first it seemed  
to be just a comet or shooting star, but when it changed its heading to an  
intercept course with the Carrack, Xandro got a sense that something was  
amiss. As the light approached, he could make out the silhouette of a small  
ship, barely larger than an escape pod and shaped something like a  
snowspeeder. The tiny craft approached the side of the cruiser so quickly and  
silently Xandro doubted that anyone else aboard knew it was there. He checked  
his blaster's power level and waited for the ship to complete its docking  
procedure on the cruiser's airlock.  
  
Less than a minute later the corridor outside the Jedi's cabin was filled  
with the sounds of doors being forced open and passengers shouting in  
confusion. Finally the entrance to Xandro's door slid open and a figure  
dressed completely in a tight fitting black flight suit and helmet stepped in.  
A small insignia patch worn on the figure's left shoulder depicted a bright   
red sun. Xandro recognized it as the symbol of the Bloodstar pirate clan.   
The pirate leveled a laser rifle at Xandro. "You too, Sparky! Move it!"   
  
*Sparky?!* Xandro asked himself. He scowled deeply and suppressed a sudden  
urge to crush the pirate's skull from across the room. *No, wouldn't do to  
reveal myself as a Jedi. Not just yet.* He stood slowly and paced into the  
hallway. The pirate pressed his weapon into Xandro's back and led him into  
the cruiser's main corridor and towards the bridge.  
  
"So where are you guys from?", Xandro asked casually.  
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Good answer. I noticed your ship is kinda small to be starhopping. You  
have a mothership around here or are you based on one of the asteriods?"  
  
"None of your business, Sparky. Just keep moving." The two continued for  
a few paces when Xandro yelped in pain and fell to the floor. He rolled onto  
his back and sat up clutching his ankle. "What happened?" the suddenly  
nervous pirate demanded.  
  
Xandro glanced up at his opponent, a pained expression on his face. I  
think I twisted my ankle."  
  
The pirate didn't notice his rifle's firing pin disconnect as the Jedi  
stared at it. "Get up!" he yelled, brandishing his weapon. "You're just  
trying to distract me!"  
  
Xandro slowly rose to his feet. "Did a good job, didn't I?" The confused  
pirate shouldered his rifle and pulled the trigger again and again with no   
effect. He dropped the weapon and started to reach for a knife hanging on   
his belt when the Jedi's gloved hand closed around his throat.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Sparky."  
  
Xandro's fingers applied pressure to the figure's jaw and the pirate  
slumped instantly into unconsciousness. Xandro pulled the knife from his  
adversary's belt and slid it into his own, then replaced the rifle's firing  
pin. He slung the laser over his shoulder and slunk towards the bridge.  
  
He finally reached the hatchway to the cruiser's bridge. Peering into a  
small window, he saw his fellow passengers kneeling on the deck with their  
hands folded behind their heads. He could see two pirates, outfitted  
identically to the one he had bested moments before. One of the pirates swept  
his rifle slowly to and fro over the heads of the hostages to keep them quiet.  
The other was standing at a control panel, apparently shouting at the captain.  
Xandro could just make out the words their lips formed as he squinted through  
the window.  
  
"What do you mean the cargo bay is empty?"  
  
"I told you, my ship was specially chartered to carry passengers to...."  
  
The pirate cut the captain's reply short with a swift slap to his face.  
"Well, maybe the ship itself is worth something then, even if the people  
riding her aren't." He turned to his accomplice. "I'll keep an eye on the  
hostages. You go look for that idiot Rolla. He should have been back here long  
before now. When you return we can dispose of the passengers and take this  
scow back to our base."  
  
The pirate leader shoved the captain into the midst of the other hostages  
as his comrade started for the bridge door. Xandro knew he had to act quickly  
if no one was to be killed. Especially him.  
  
Xandro pressed against the hallway wall as the hatch slid open. As soon  
as the pirate came into view, the Jedi called on his powers to fog the man's  
mind. The pirate halted for a second and shook his head as the hatch closed  
behind him. Xandro held his breath when the pirate looked directly at him, but  
he was now all but invisible to the man. The pirate continued down the  
corridor to search for Rolla.  
  
The Jedi strode silently behind his quarry until the hallway branched off  
to the right. He followed the pirate around the bend and thrust out his hand  
with blinding speed, landing a solid blow on the back of the man's neck just  
below the skull. The shock wasn't enough to be lethal, but he wouldn't be going  
anywhere for a while.  
  
*Two down, one to go,* Xandro thought as he picked up his fallen foe's  
weapons and dropped them down a nearby garbage chute. *I'll have to be careful   
around the hostages, though. Could be tricky without giving myself away.* He  
jogged back into the main corridor and to the bridge door. He peeked through  
the window to get a sense of where the leader was. Xandro found him sitting  
on a stool near the front of the bridge, his rifle trained on the passengers.  
Xandro stepped through the doorway and met the pirate's gaze with his own.  
  
The leader rose from his seat and shouldered his rifle, but before he  
could fire a knife whistled through the air and into his hand. He immediately  
dropped the laser and grasped his injured arm. The last thing he saw was the  
heel of Xandro's boot before the world went black.  
  
Xandro dropped his captured laser and turned to the hostages. "That was  
the last one. You can get up now." One by one they rose from their knees as  
if awaking from a dream. "There are two others passed out in the hallway."  
  
The captain turned to his officers. "We'd better secure them before   
they can wake up. And send a message forward to Alderaan to let them know   
we'll be arriving with guests."  
  
"Say, captain," one of the officers called, wearing a sly grin. "Do you  
suppose there's some kind of reward for the capture of these pirates?"  
  
"Hey, there's an idea!" answered another officer. "We can use the ship's  
computer to check for posted bounties." Suddenly a throng of curious  
passengers was gathered around the monitor, watching the crewman browse  
through pictures and biofiles of wanted criminals.  
  
The captain approached Xandro with his hand extended. "Sir, I would just  
like to thank you for saving the lives of everyone on this ship."  
  
"I paid for a trip to Alderaan," said Xandro, ignoring the gesture.  
"Somebody had to get me there." The Jedi was suddenly aware that the crew and  
passenger's attention had shifted from the computer to him. He turned to them  
and frowned. "What are you all...." His voice trailed off as he caught a  
glimpse of the face on the monitor.  
  
It was his own.  
  
"Says here you're wanted by the Republic officials on Coruscant, Mr.  
Janus," called the officer running the search. "I bet they can afford a  
real nice reward."  
  
As the crowd closed in on him, Xandro quickly considered using a Jedi  
suggestion to make them believe he was not who they thought he was, but he  
wasn't sure it would work on so many people at once. It surprised him that  
these people would be brave - or stupid - enough to attack a renegade Jedi  
for the slim chance of receiving some kind of reward. Then it hit him - the  
bounty didn't mention that he was a Jedi. The Council was so desperate to  
catch him that they were willing to enlist the public's help, but they were  
also too proud to reveal that one of their own had gone "astray".  
  
He held his hands palms outward in a placating gesture. "Ok, you got me.  
I just have one thing to say before you hand me over to the authorities." The  
mob halted their advance and waited. Xandro slowly lowered his hands, took a  
deep breath, and yelled "Suckers!" as he bolted through the open hatchway.  
  
"Seal all the exits!" the captain shouted. "Don't let him get way!"  
  
Xandro tore through the cruiser's claustrophobic corridors at top speed.  
He could hear nearby cabin doors hissing as they sealed themselves shut.  
*So much for gratitude,* he thought bitterly. To his pursuers, it must have  
seemed there was no escape. All the ship's hatches had been sealed and it  
carried no shuttles or auxiliary craft.  
  
At least, not usually.  
  
The Jedi wound his way through the ship to where he had seen the pirates  
dock. He smiled to himself. *If I play this right, not only can I get off this  
ship but I might even be able to throw everyone off my trail for a while.*  
Finally he reached the airlock that led to the pirates' craft. He examined the  
locking mechanism and found that the invaders had disabled it upon their  
entry, preventing this hatch from sealing when all the others did. *Just as I  
suspected.* The first airlock door slid open easily and he stepped through. He  
could see the mob rounding a corner in the hallway as the inner door closed  
and the outer door opened to grant access to the small ship.  
  
The interior was roomier than Xandro had expected. All the better to suit  
his plan. He could hear his pursuers pounding on the door behind him as he  
slammed his hand down on the hatch mechanism to seal the ship off from the  
cruiser. Within seconds the shuttle was detached and on its way into the  
asteroid belt. Xandro quickly scanned the instrument panel and nearly cheered  
when he found that the craft carried a single proton torpedo. He put the ship  
on autopilot and went to work tearing apart any nonessential components he  
could find, then loading the pieces into the disposal chute.  
  
* * * *   
  
On the cruiser's bridge, the captain and his officers saw the tiny ship  
zoom off into the asteroids. "Follow him as far as you can into the belt," he  
ordered.  
  
* * * *   
  
When Xandro had filled the chute, he returned to the control panel and saw  
the Carrack turn to pursue him. *Ok, showtime.* He maneuvered the ship into   
a denser part of the belt, jinking and darting between asteroids. He then  
purposely brought the ship close to one of the rocks and fired off a thruster  
on the wingtip.  
  
* * * *   
  
The crew watched as the tiny craft flew close to an asteroid. As it  
passed, there was a flare on the tip of the wing and the ship spun out of  
control. "Look, he's been hit!" one of the officers shouted. The shuttle  
spiraled into the distance, vanishing behind a rock. Seconds later there was  
a bright flash.  
  
"It looks like he went down!", the captain observed.  
  
"He's no longer on our scope, sir."  
  
"Zoom the external cameras in on that position."  
  
Everyone on the bridge huddled around the monitor as the camera swept  
through the area of space where the craft had disappeared. "Look there!",  
cried one of the officers. His finger pointed to a cloud of metallic debris  
floating away from the crash site.  
  
The captain sighed. "Looks like he's finished. We'll report this to the  
authorities when we reach Alderaan."  
  
* * * *   
  
Xandro sat in the darkened cockpit and watched as the Carrack-class  
cruiser vanished into hyperspace. *They really are suckers,* he told himself.  
*Just fake an out-of-control spin, fire a torpedo at an asteroid to look like  
an explosion, dump some scrap parts out the trash chute and power down to  
disappear from sensors. Oldest trick in the book.* Chuckling, he powered up  
the shuttle's systems and darted off into the void. 


	4. 

Xandro leaned back against the tarnished silver hull of his shuttlecraft.  
When he first captured the tiny ship from a band of Bloodstar pirates, he  
would never have guessed that it had enough range to take him all the way to  
Dantooine. Yet here he was, his gaze sweeping over a seemingly endless plain  
of wild lavender grass waving gently in an ever present breeze.   
  
Now that Xandro was "dead", Dantooine seemed to be a perfect place to  
enjoy a respite from the chaos of recent events. The planet itself was mostly  
peaceful grasslands, and the only inhabitants were a primitive humanoid  
species. Take into account its out-of-the-way location and it was not  
difficult to see why this planet was generally overlooked by virtually  
everyone in the galaxy.  
  
But Xandro was looking forward to more than just relaxing. He knew from  
stories his master used to tell him that this planet was also home to a Jedi  
temple almost 4000 years ago. With any luck, he would be able to find the  
temple's remains, and perhaps with them some artifact or forgotten knowledge  
that would help him increase his mastery of the Force.   
  
On his descent to Dantooine's surface, Xandro had flown over the area  
where he believed the ruins to be, and was pleased to discover traces of some  
type of building at the location. He had landed his craft on the nearest open  
ground, just a few miles from the temple site and conveniently close to a  
stream and a shallow cave in a modest rock formation. In the few hours since  
he had arrived on the world, he had managed to set up a makeshift campsite  
centered around the cave and the ship itself. Fortunately, the craft had been  
stocked with enough provisions for three people to make a trip of moderate  
range. These rations were enough to sustain a single person for a considerably  
longer time.  
  
Now Xandro watched fingers of darkness grasp the landscape as the sun  
began its leisurely slide below the horizon. As anxious as he was to see what  
the ruins held, he knew he had to get some rest first. Besides, the temple had  
been there for millennia, one more night wouldn't hurt it.  
  
The Jedi sauntered around his ship and towards the mouth of the cave. He  
set his blaster for a low intensity beam and triggered a stream of shimmering  
red energy into a pile of dried grass and twigs surrounded by round gray  
rocks. The grass instantly ignited, casting a warm orange glow over the cave  
and shuttle.  
  
He hunkered down onto a boulder by the cave entrance and unwrapped a  
packet of rations, lifting a protein stick up to his mouth. Just as he was   
prepared to take a bite, he sensed a presence in the tall grass just beyond   
the clearing of the campsite. He put the food down and instinctively reached   
for his lightsaber, hissing in anger when he remembered it was no longer   
there. He freed the blaster from his belt instead. There was a faint   
rustling directly in front of him and he could see the grass sway as   
something moved through it.  
  
Xandro leveled his blaster at the moving grass and waited, motionless and  
breathless. Seconds later, a thin, mud stained hand emerged from the grass,  
followed by another. The hands forced the grass apart like a curtain as a  
shock of long dirt-caked blond hair came into view. The figure, still half  
hidden from view, collapsed on the ground breathing heavily. After a moment  
the head rose from the ground and looked upward, its expression of relief  
turning to fear as it came face to face with a Blastech BL-44.  
  
"Uhh...uhh...." the figure stammered. It was a human female, her bright  
green eyes wide with fear as they shifted from the laser's muzzle to the  
scowling face of its wielder. She looked as if she would burst into tears at  
any second.  
  
"Who are you, and why shouldn't I kill you?" Xandro quietly demanded.  
  
"No, please," she responded. "My name is Allora and...."  
  
"What are you doing here? You're obviously not a Dantari."  
  
"I'm a student. An archaeology student from Mrlsst Planetary University.   
I heard tales of an ancient Jedi training center on the planet and I came to  
investigate."  
  
"I didn't see any ships when I flew over that area earlier."  
  
Allora started to shiver and her voice was uneasy. "My ship... it crashed  
in the lake at the base of that river." She pointed to the stream that ran  
through the campsite. I managed to escape, but all my supplies and equipment  
were lost. I searched for shelter, but the whole area is open plains. Then I  
came across the ruins and...."  
  
Xandro leaned forward slightly. "You've been to the temple?"  
  
"Yes. I was there when I saw your ship fly overhead. I followed hoping...  
hoping...." Her voice trailed off and her head sunk back to the ground. Xandro  
sat watching as her body shook with sobbing.  
  
"Aw, jeez," Xandro said, feeling flustered. "Come on now." He grabbed a  
ration packet and tossed it onto the ground before Allora.  
  
Allora jerked her head upward at the sound. She found the packet and tore  
it open, then began to ravenously shove the contents into her mouth. She  
looked at her new host in amazement and offered a muffled thanks.  
  
"Don't thank me," Xandro answered. I figured you'd quit your yammering if  
I gave you something to shove in your mouth". Allora was focused on the food  
and did not acknowledge the remark. "So, how long have you been stuck here?"  
  
Allora managed to stop eating long enough to answer. "I guess about a  
week. Hard to tell, though."  
  
Xandro lowered his head in thought. If this woman had really been here a  
week, she wouldn't know anything about him being on the run from the Council.  
And besides, she knew her way around the temple ruins. Deciding that she may  
be useful, he turned his gaze to her. "Would you like to stay for a while?"  
  
The woman froze and stared at him. "You mean it? I can stay here, and  
you'll give me food and...."  
  
Xandro waved his arms in front of himself. "Whoa, hold on there. I came   
to this planet to check out that temple, too. I just figure since you've   
been there, and you study things like that, you might have some kind of   
insight on the place. I could use a guide, that's all."  
  
"And when you leave, you'll take me with you?"  
  
The Jedi leaned back and turned his gaze upward to the stars. "If I  
leave," he answered with a grin, "I'll think about taking you with me." The  
grin faded just as quickly. "For now, just concern yourself with getting me  
to that temple tomorrow." He stood and started towards the mouth of the cave.  
"And one more thing. If you're gonna share this cave with me, you'd better  
wash up in the stream. You smell like a wet womprat."  
  
Allora's face lit up and she ran off for the river. Xandro started to   
lay blankets on the floor of the cave. *Her story seems genuine enough,* he   
thought to himself. *But still, can't be too careful. I'll have to keep an  
eye on her until I know what's really going on.* With that, he laid on the  
blanket and watched the fire burn itself out. 


	5. 

Allora yawned and opened her eyes, then quickly shut them again. The  
bright sunlight was too sudden a shock for her still weary head. She rolled  
onto her side and tried again, slowly. She was greeted with a vision of  
Xandro's back, as he sat facing away from her. The crackling of a small fire  
reached her ears and the scent of slightly charred meat wafted its way to her  
nostrils.  
  
"Good morning, sunshine," her host said without turning around. She was  
unable to tell how much sarcasm the remark held.  
  
"Hmmm...unnggguhhhh...", she attempted to reply.  
  
Xandro turned around and offered Allora a plate of the meat. "Not an  
early bird, are you?" He saw Allora's questioning expression. "It's almost  
noon. Or what passes for noon on this planet. I know the temple ruins aren't  
too far from here, so I let you sleep. Gave me a chance to get some things  
done, anyway."  
  
Allora sat up and sampled her breakfast. It was slightly salty, but at the  
same time somewhat sweet. She decided that she liked it and attacked it  
ravenously. "I've never seen a ship as small as yours carry fresh meat as  
part of the provisions before," she gasped between bites.  
  
"Oh, I don't," Xandro answered. "But I thought it might be a nice change  
from the usual canned and freeze-dried fare, so I did a little hunting early  
this morning." He dished himself out a pile of the food.  
  
"This is pretty good. What is it?"  
  
"Carnivorous slug," Xandro said with his mouth full. Allora slowly put her  
plate on the ground and backed away from it. "They're all over the place,"  
Xandro continued, amused with his companion's behavior. "Which reminds me,  
you'd better shake out your boots before you put them on."  
  
Allora heard Xandro snickering behind her and turned to shoot him a dirty  
look. She turned one of her boots upside down and whacked it on the sole a  
few times. Satisfied that it was clean, she slid it over her foot and calf  
while her companion chuckled a bit louder. As she reached for her other boot,  
Allora couldn't stop herself from smiling as well.  
  
* * * *   
  
"So what brings you here?", Allora inquired as she and Xandro waded  
through the waist-high sea of lavender grass. "I mean, I know you said you  
were here to see the ruins, but Dantooine isn't exactly a huge tourist  
attraction. And besides, tourists don't usually carry heavy blasters, from  
what I understand."  
  
"Depends on what they're touring."  
  
"I know I haven't seen you around the Mrlsst academy. Do you study  
somewhere else?"  
  
Xandro sighed. "No, I guess you could say it's independent study."  
  
"Have you traveled to many planets? I've hardly even been off Mrlsst  
myself."  
  
"I've been to Coruscant, Bakura...." Xandro paused for a second as if lost  
in thought. "Dathomir...."  
  
"Dathomir, really? They had a lot of excitement about a month ago!"  
  
"I remember hearing something about that."  
  
"Have you been anywhere else? I love to hear stories about people's  
travels because I hardly ever get to have any myself, what with my studies  
and all. I mean it gets really boring, you know? Study this, study that, day  
in, day out...."  
  
"How far did you say the ruins were?" the Jedi interrupted.  
  
"Oh, another hour or so." Allora's face lit up with a sudden excitement.  
"Just enough time to tell you about the thesis I'm working on! It's about the  
hygiene practices of ancient settlers in the Stenness Node...."  
  
Xandro sighed again, then hung his head and resignedly trudged alongside  
his companion.  
  
* * * *   
  
"And so they actually recycled their raw sewage into...."  
  
"Hey, look at that," Xandro interrupted. The two stopped in their tracks and stared into the distance, hands cupped over their eyes to shield them from the harsh glare of the sun sinking towards the horizon. A rounded spire of white stone rose above the lavender landscape in the distance. Xandro took off running through the grass as Allora followed with some difficulty. In less than a minute they were both standing on the edge of a circular pit in the ground.   
  
Centered in the recess, an obviously ancient stone structure towered over their heads. The building was circular in plan, and while standing over 20 feet high it was only wide enough to fit three or four people inside. A trio of bleached stone columns stretched from floor to cracked ceiling, leaving most of the interior open to the area around it. Large chunks of a facade surrounding the main entrance had crumbled away and now lay in piles of rubble on the ground. A single spire jutted from the center of the roof. The entire pit in which the temple sat was curiously devoid of the grass that covered the rest of the plain.   
  
Allora circled the perimeter of the building and ran her hand up one of the columns. "There seem to be traces of a carving here, but it's so eroded I can't make anything out. Quite possibly this temple used to be painted in a bright shade of red or purple to compliment the surrounding terrain." She led Xandro between the columns and to the center of the floor. She pointed out a design etched into the stone, now nearly worn smooth with age. "This was probably the symbol of whatever Jedi Master taught here. I can't quite make it out, though."  
  
Xandro craned his neck to take in the entire scene. This temple must have been abandoned hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. Yet even now, as he stood among the crumbling remains, he could feel the power of the Force coursing strongly through him. As his admiration grew, so did his impatience. Surely such a powerful site must have held tremendous Jedi lore. "Where would the Master have kept his records?" Xandro asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "You know, training methods and things like that?"  
  
Allora walked to the nearest column and ran her hand across the base. "Usually they were kept hidden in a secure place." She stood and moved to another column, again searching the base. "In structures of this type, there was often a mechanism...ah, here we go." She pressed an innocent looking knob of rock which slid reluctantly inward. Immediately there was a groan as if the temple itself resented having to surrender its secrets. The harsh grating of stone against stone followed as a section of the floor raised into an altar-like platform. Allora happily trotted over to the platform and fumbled with a latch.   
  
As Xandro watched his companion go about her work, he could not help but feel a sudden sense of respect. Obviously she was well versed in Jedi history, perhaps even more than most Jedi he knew. She was also genuinely enjoying herself, running around the temple examining carvings and mechanisms like a child browsing in a toy store. Yet, something other than mere admiration was stirring inside him. He had to smile as he watched her working the lock on the altar. Her high spirits seemed to be contagious, and the Jedi caught himself feeling less angry and depressed, perhaps even a bit cheerful. The feeling seemed almost foreign to him.  
  
Finally Allora pulled open the doors on the altar. Almost before she even had a chance to peer inside, Xandro was beside her, anxious to see what ancient knowledge lay inside. When the doors finally parted, the light of the setting sun poured inside to reveal an empty hole.  
  
Ah, disappointment. Now that was more familiar.  
  
Xandro's face fell as he studied the cavity. "Are you sure there are no hidden compartments? Or a false bottom?"  
  
"No," came the answer. "The Masters were concerned about security, but not fanatical, especially on a primitive planet like this one." She closed the doors and once again pressed the stud at the base of the column. The altar rasped back into the floor and the temple seemed to loose a sigh of relief.   
  
"Well, we may as well camp here for the night," the Jedi suggested, trying to mask his sadness. "We can head back to camp in the morning and decide what to do from there." The two spread blankets taken from their packs onto the stone floor and lay down for the night.  
  
* * * *   
  
"NO!!!!"  
  
Xandro leaped at the cloaked and masked figure as his saber sparked to life, the cold gray light shimmering like a shaft of solid fog. As the blade arced downward it collided with a dark green blade and hissed angrily. His eyes widened despite the howling wind and biting sand that blew all around him. His saber swung fiercely at his enemy from every angle, only to be repelled each time in a shower of sparks. Finally, Xandro backed slowly away from his foe. The antagonists circled, brandishing their humming sabers and searching for an opening.   
  
Finally, Xandro let out a shrill cry and charged. Just before he reached his opponent, he thrust his hand forward, using the Force to push his enemy backward. As the figure struggled for balance, Xandro thrust his saber forward. At the last moment, the figure deflected the gray shaft away from his chest, but could not get completely clear. He howled in pain as the blade seared down the side of his already injured left arm and through the dark brown robe. As Xandro recovered his own stance, he got a look at the exposed skin. He had just enough time to make out a tattoo depicting an open eye surrounded by a circle of stars before the dark green saber sizzled towards him. He blocked it with his own and forced his enemy's right hand downward. In the same motion, he hooked his leg over the lowered arm so that the elbow was caught inside his knee. He then grabbed the figure's wrist and yanked it towards him. The elbow bent in the wrong direction with a loud crack and the saber fell from the hand. The injured figure bellowed again as he pushed Xandro away. He extended his left hand and the saber flew into the open palm. He cradled his broken right arm in his left and ran from the battle.  
  
Xandro regained his feet and started to run after the fleeing opponent. The cloaked figure still had a good lead when he jumped off the top of a sand dune and over a cliff. Xandro planted his feet into the sand and skidded to a stop short of the cliff. He walked forward slowly to peer over the edge. Just before he reached it, a piercing whine sounded from below. Xandro had to shield his eyes as a landspeeder rose above the edge of the dune, its engines creating a swirling sandstorm. Through the debris, Xandro could see the silhouette of the cloaked figure in the cockpit. It turned its head to look at him for a second, then sped off into the distance.  
  
* * * *   
  
Xandro slowly opened his eyes to the sight of Allora unwrapping rations from her pack. She smiled brightly when she saw that he was awake. "Good morning, sunshine," she said with a wink. "You didn't seem to sleep too well last night. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'll live. As soon as we eat we should head back to my ship."  
  
"What's the rush? This is the first opportunity I've had to examine these ruins without fighting for my life. I'd like to look at...." Allora caught the hard look that her companion shot her and decided to drop the argument.  
  
Minutes later, the two were once again wading through the waist-high grass. Allora was concerned about Xandro. He seemed even more pensive than before, if that was possible. She decided to lighten the mood with some conversation. "So, who's M'rath?"  
  
Xandro froze in his tracks. "What?"  
  
"You were talking in your sleep and you mentioned his name," Allora answered, unsure if she should continue. "Uhh... who was he?"  
  
"He was... a friend." Xandro began walking again. "We were pretty close."  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
"He died."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." Allora looked down at her feet, unsure of what to say next. "Would you like to talk about it?"  
  
Xandro stopped again and stared at Allora, who flinched as if afraid he would strike her. In his mind, however, he found himself actually considering her offer. He had known her for a very short time, but already he felt as if he could trust her. *Maybe later,* he thought. *When this is all over.* He resumed walking without saying a word. 


	6. 

Allora and Xandro continued their journey in silence. As they approached the cave where they had made camp, Xandro slowed his pace and signaled his companion to do the same.  
  
"What is it?" Allora whispered.  
  
"Something is rummaging around the camp," Xandro replied. "I'll go check it out." The Jedi drew his DL-44 and crept slowly through the grass towards the cave. As he got closer, he could hear grunting and banging as if objects were being thrown around. He circled the camp until he figured he was behind the uninvited guest, then peeked through the reeds on the edge of the site.   
  
The visitor appeared to be a human, but a primitive one. His back was hunched forward and his movements and gestures were reminiscent of a primate's. When the man turned to one side, Xandro could see that his forehead sloped sharply and his jaw was slack. Xandro suddenly stood and walked into the clearing.  
  
When the intruder finally noticed Xandro standing over him with a heavy blaster, he let out a cry of fear and surprise and began to scramble away, never taking his eyes off the Jedi. He didn't get too far before he collided with a boulder and fell over.  
  
Allora came running in response to the screams. "Who... what is that?" she asked when she saw the primitive man.  
  
"It's a Dantari," Xandro answered. "They're a primitive race native to this planet. They're generally peaceful, I think he was just looking for food."   
  
"Poor thing, you probably scared him half to death!" Allora pulled a protein bar from her pack and held it out to the Dantari. The primitive human looked at it curiously, then leaned closer to sniff it. Finally he reached out and snatched it from Allora's grasp. As he did so, she caught a glimpse of something shiny around his wrist. She moved closer to the distracted intruder to examine. "Hey, come look at this!"  
  
Xandro came over for a look. The shiny object was a golden armband inscribed with the same design they had seen on the floor of the temple. "That must have come from the ruins," he reasoned. "And if they took that, they may have taken more. Maybe even the missing records!" Hearing the Jedi's shout, the Dantari remembered his fear of the man and took off running through the plain. "Let's follow him home and see what else he has!"  
  
* * * *   
  
After what seemed like hours, the Dantari finally led the two to an outcropping of hills on the plain. Allora and Xandro watched from cover as other members of the tribe scampered out to greet their fellow. As soon as they all disappeared into the hills, Allora sat down to remove her boots and rub her tired feet. "It's about time! Now what do we do, just walk in and ask if they have any Jedi artifacts?"  
  
Xandro stood and walked towards the hills. "Yup."   
  
"What? Are you...."  
  
"Wait here." Xandro pulled some rations from his pack and made his way to the entrance of the Dantari colony. By telling Allora to stay behind he could communicate telepathically with the natives without giving away his Jedi identity. Once inside the colony, he began to look around for any sign of Dantari, while opening his mind to receive any stray thoughts. Finally he detected something.  
  
*And he came at me with some kind of weapon,* he heard a voice say inside his head. Following the direction of the thoughts, he found the Dantari tribe in what could pass for a town square, gathered around the one he found by the ship. *Then the female gave me food, but the male tried to attack me again!*  
  
*I did no such thing,* Xandro broadcasted his thoughts to the tribe. They all spun around to face the Jedi, then began to run. *Wait, wait, I don't mean you any harm. Look!" Xandro showed them the bag of rations he had brought. *I have food for you. I will give it to you if you tell me if you have any more artifacts.*  
  
The Dantari traded puzzled looks with each other. *Arti...facts?*  
  
*Things from the temple,* Xandro explained. He pointed to the armband that one of them wore. *Like that.*  
  
The Dantari all gave a sudden nod of understanding and gestured for the Jedi to follow them. He followed them to a small cave in the side of one of the hills. When he peered inside he could see metal and stone jewelry, small carvings and, in the back, what looked like a leather binding. He reached into the recess and carefully pulled out an ancient tome. The symbols on the cover identified the work as the diary of the Jedi Master who had run the temple on the plain. Eagerly he opened the cover, only to find that the pages inside had crumbled to dust long ago. *Should have figured a 4000 year-old book wouldn't be in such great shape.*  
  
He returned the book to the cave and was about to leave when something else caught his eye. In the back of the nook, almost completely covered with useless baubles, sat a palm-sized cube covered with circuits and crystalline structures.  
  
A holocron.  
  
Xandro couldn't believe his luck to find such a Jedi lore storage device in a place like this. He slowly removed it from its resting place and set it in his lap. He carefully pressed the activation stud, wondering if it could possibly function after four millennia. There was a loud crackling sound, and the nearby Dantari recoiled at the noise. Then slowly, very slowly, the image of a Twi'lek in long, flowing red robes appeared as a hologram floating above the artifact.   
  
"I am Master Yamma Rattaan," came a faint voice through the static, "and herein lies my knowledge."  
  
Xandro beamed with joy. He stuffed the holocron back into the hole, handed his bag of rations to the nearest Dantari and bolted back to the entrance to find Allora. He brought her back to the cave, removed the holocron and showed Allora the introductory speech. "I have to study this," he told her. I want to spend just a little time here to see what it contains, then we can head back to the ship."  
  
Allora had never seen him so pleased. "That's incredible! I'm really glad you found what you were looking for, uh... you know, it occurs to me that you never told me your name."  
  
The smile suddenly faded from the man's face. "No, I didn't. It's...." He quickly thought of false names he could give her. Then he looked up at Allora and his eyes met hers. She seemed so happy for him, so trusting, and he was suddenly overcome by the feeling that he could trust her as well. "Call me Xandro."  
  
"Okay then, Xandro," she beamed, "as exciting as this all is, I really need a place to, uh, freshen up, if you know what I mean. I'll be right back." She hopped over a boulder and headed for the far side of the village while the voice of the Jedi master crackled to life behind her.  
  
When she had left the boundary of the village, she looked all around to make sure no one could see her. She carefully removed a button from her shirt and turned it over in her hand. Indecision crossed her features as she struggled with an important decision. Xandro didn't really seem as bad as she'd heard. In fact, he was nothing like the insane, bloodthirsty killer she had been told he was. She was starting to question everything she had been told. In the end, however, her dedication to duty won out. She held the button to her lips.  
  
"Leto to Kryton. Come in."  
  
"Kryton here," came a deep voice through the comm device. "Go ahead".  
  
"It's definitely Janus, all right."  
  
"Excellent. Where is he now?"  
  
"In a Dantari village, trading with the natives."  
  
"We have your position. Lure him to the cave about two hundred meters to the south. We will arrive within the hour. Good work, agent Leto."  
  
* * * *  
  
About a half hour after she left, Allora came scrambling back over the hilltop. "Xandro," she managed between gasps, "come quick, you have to see this!"  
  
Reluctantly, Xandro turned from the holocron to face the woman. "What is it?"  
  
"I found some more artifacts, in a cave south of here. It looks like the main collection from the temple!"  
  
Xandro shut off the storage device and gingerly replaced it into its hole. "I'll be back for you." He got to his feet and followed Allora down the far side of the hill.  
  
A few minutes later the two stood at the mouth of a cave. "The items are inside here," Allora said. "Towards the back."   
  
Xandro stepped into the cave. The sunlight filtering through the entrance allowed him to see well enough to make his way around. He probed deeper into the cave until it became too dark to see, then turned around and headed for the egress. "I don't see anything back here," he called. "Are you sure...." He cut himself short when he looked up and saw the outlines of three people standing at the cave entrance. He could tell by their upright stances that they were not Dantari. Something told him they were also not friendly.  
  
"Xandro Janus," said the figure in the center. "In the name of the Jedi Council, I place you under arrest." Xandro recognized the voice as Skor Kryton, a brash and somewhat shady Jedi Knight. He had tried to become a Master before, but had failed the necessary trials. His methods were questionable at best, and sometimes even bordered on breaking the Jedi code, although no one could ever prove such an accusation. He and Xandro had never gotten along. It occurred to Xandro that Skor was enjoying this.  
  
"No need to be so formal, Skor," Xandro replied as he slowly approached the trio. "Please, just call me 'Master'." He could almost hear the sneer cross Kryton's lips. "The Council only sent three of you to bring me back? I'm insulted."  
  
"Enough banter, Janus. Will you come quietly or not?" He flipped a switch on his lightsaber and a shimmering shaft of deep orange thrummed to life. "I'm hoping not."  
  
Xandro stared at the glowing blade. Kryton wasn't a great fighter, but he was good enough to deflect any blaster bolts that Xandro could send at him. Besides, Janus was reluctant to fire on a fellow Jedi, even this one. He let out a deep breath and bowed his head slightly, then trudged towards the cave entrance. The two Jedi accompanying Kryton moved to stand on either side of Xandro while Kryton stood in front. Xandro considered him for a moment. He was slightly older than Xandro, but taller and more muscular. His shoulder-length blond hair and square jaw made him seem younger than he was, and his commanding presence gave him an air of dignity and respect. A false air, Xandro knew.   
  
"I hate to disappoint you, Kryton." The taller Jedi scowled and grudgingly deactivated his saber, replacing it on his belt. "So I won't." Xandro's arms struck like serpents at the shoulders of the Jedi to either side of him, blacking them out instantly. Supporting his weight on the outstretched arms, he swung his legs upward and kicked Kryton squarely in the jaw, knocking the man off his feet. Xandro continued the motion until he had flipped backwards to the ground. As Kryton leapt to his feet, Xandro called the unconscious Jedi's sabers into his open hands and activated them.   
  
Kryton stood holding his saber in one hand and his aching jaw with the other. "You fight dirty for a Jedi, Janus!" he taunted.  
  
Xandro let out a disdainful laugh. "You're a fine one to talk about that. Besides, I'm not a Jedi any more, remember?" He crossed the two lightsabers before him in an offensive posture. "I don't want to have to fight you, Kryton. You know you can't win."  
  
"In a fair fight, you may be right. Fortunately we won't have to find out." He backed up to a boulder and reached behind it. When he withdrew his hand, it was around Allora's neck. She seemed to be almost in tears. Skor placed the blade of the lightsaber against her throat. "Give up and I may not kill her," he said with a wicked smile.  
  
Xandro seethed with anger, but finally deactivated the sabers. "Now throw them here," Kryton commanded. "Your blaster too." Xandro complied, never averting his piercing stare from Kryton's face. Kryton poked Allora in the back and she stepped forward to collect the weapons. "Now turn around, slowly." Xandro turned his back to Skor and was rewarded with a sharp pain in his left shoulder blade.  
  
"What the... what was that?" Xandro demanded.  
  
"Regrettably, nothing lethal. Just a tranquilizer, to keep you quiet until we get to Coruscant."  
  
"You have what you came for, Skor, now let Allora go."  
  
"Oh, I'm not going to harm your friend," Kryton answered as a smile played across his face. "In fact, agent Leto here will probably get a nice promotion."  
  
Xandro shook his head, trying to clear it of the toxin. "Wha... what do you mean?"  
  
"Allora here really is a student of archaeology, but she is also a special secret agent for the Jedi Council. You see, after the captain of that liner you escaped from reported you dead, the Council went to investigate. They managed to trace the ion trail from your shuttle's engines from the asteroid belt to this planet. The Council knew that you'd be on the lookout for a Jedi patrol to bring you back, but not for a shipwrecked student. Once Allora confirmed your position and identity, we moved in."  
  
Xandro sank to his knees, his vision starting to fade. "But, if she's a Jedi, why didn't I sense it?"  
  
"For the same reason you didn't sense us closing in on you." He pulled a chain from around his neck. Dangling from it was a large black stone carved into an arcane symbol. "A Sith force mask. It suppresses Force vibrations. Of course, it is supposedly illegal to use Sith technology these days. We had to get special permission from the Council to get the Coruscant museum to loan these to us."  
  
"I'm flattered."  
  
"Get some sleep now, Janus. We'll be home before you know it, and you'll be leading a happy, Force-free life. You should thank your friend here."  
  
The mention of his former companion made Xandro's chest burn with feelings of disappointment and betrayal. He struggled to lift his head and brought his gaze to bear on Allora, who regarded him with a mixture of pity and sadness. "Oh, I will," he whispered as a deep, angry scowl creased his features. A few seconds more, and all was darkness. 


	7. 

Xandro sat on the bunk and regarded his hands. He turned them over again and again, remembering what power they used to command. His ability to shape and control the very fabric of time and space, abilities that had taken a lifetime of study to acquire, had been ripped from him in a few minutes. While he slept, medical droids had altered his DNA structure in order to deactivate the chromosome that controlled midichlorian production. They did not completely remove the strand, as to do so would be too much of a shock to his body, but the process lowered his midichlorian count to the point where he was virtually oblivious to the Force.   
  
He didn't feel any different physically, but mentally it seemed that something was missing. He no longer felt a connection with the Force. He could no longer sense the presence of those around him, feel the ebb and flow of the sea of life that stretched across the galaxy and beyond. The sudden silence and stillness was disorienting. He could not remember a time when he felt more alone, more vulnerable, and more frightened.  
  
He reclined on the bunk and tried to relax. The genetic manipulation process had been over for hours now. He wondered why he was still being kept in the medical center. Perhaps the Council thought he would need more time to recover from the procedure. Xandro thought that the fastest way for him to recover would be to get out of this place and back to his modest apartment in one of the upper levels of Coruscant.  
  
* * * *  
  
Allora Leto was about to pass the medical center on her way to deliver an official report of the events on Dantooine when something made her stop in. She approached the droid at the reception desk. "Is Xandro Janus still in surgery?" she inquired.  
  
"No," came the metallic reply. "Xandro Janus was removed from surgery exactly four hours, twenty-two minutes and fifteen seconds ago."  
  
"I suppose he's long gone then." Allora cast her eyes downward and began to turn away.   
  
"Xandro Janus is currently resting in recovery room three."  
  
Allora's concern gave way to curiosity. "Why has he not been released yet?"  
  
"An order has been issued to hold Xandro Janus indefinitely," the droid responded coldly.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"That information was not necessary for medical purposes."  
  
"So it was not supplied. Thank you." Allora spun on her heels and started for the Council chamber, fighting an urge to run the entire way. Finally she arrived and flashed her identification to the guard at the door. She was in the center of the chamber before the door had finished opening.  
  
"We've been expecting you, agent Leto," greeted the powerful voice of Mace Windu. "On behalf of the Jedi Council, I would like to congratulate you on your excellent work in helping to capture the fugitive Janus."  
  
"I am honored to have the opportunity to present my report in person," Allora replied as she handed the document to the Council leader. She stood stock still for a moment, gathering her courage. "Permission to ask a question, sir."  
  
Mace looked up with mild surprise, but it was Yoda who answered. "Ah, concerned you are. Worried about Xandro, hmm?"  
  
Allora showed no surprise at the accuracy of the statement. "I am curious as to why he has not been released. He has been out of surgery for hours now."  
  
"That is privileged information, agent Leto," Mace answered. "However, since you were responsible for his capture, I think you are entitled to know. He is being held while we examine his possible role in the extermination of a Dantari colony on the planet."  
  
A look of shock crossed Allora's face, but Mace continued. "Upon Skor Kryton's request, we examined the hills you contacted us from after the suspect was taken into custody. The entire tribe was found dead from blaster fire, and a spent energy cartridge matching the ones used in Janus's sidearm was found stashed in a crevice on a hillside."  
  
"But, but, I was with him the whole time!" Allora protested. "At least until I left to contact you, but when I came back the Dantari were all alive!"  
  
"As Skor Kryton noted in his report, Xandro has the ability to alter perceptions. He speculates that when you returned, Janus planted a suggestion that everything was fine, when in reality he had murdered the Dantari to remove any witnesses to his presence. Eventually, he would have done the same to you. Granted, we cannot know for sure if this is true, but it seems to fit with Janus's concern to cover his tracks."  
  
"But he is not a murderer! He had plenty of opportunity to kill me if he wished, but he didn't! Look at his history, he has never killed if it was avoidable!" Allora exhaled in frustration. "Can't you sense that he didn't do it?"  
  
"Powerful, Janus is," Yoda croaked. "Deceptive he can be. Fool even the Council perhaps."  
  
"As we said, we do not know for sure if this is true," said Windu in a compassionate tone. "But desperate men do desperate things. All of the evidence will be considered before a decision is made on his part in the matter. If he is found innocent, he will be free to go."  
  
"And if he is found guilty?"  
  
"Then he will be executed for murder."  
  
* * * *  
  
Allora strode through the corridor, her face a mask of anger and determination. She rounded a corner and pounded on a heavy metal door. "It's open," came a voice from inside.  
  
She stormed into Skor Kryton's office and waited for the door to slide closed. "What happened on Dantooine?" she demanded.  
  
"I assume you're referring to the unfortunate incident involving the Dantari," Skor said with a sad shake of his head. "Sometimes it's shocking what people are capable of."  
  
"Don't feed me that," Allora seethed. "Xandro did not kill anyone. I was with him the whole time."  
  
"Except when you left to call me, at which time Xandro decided to cover his tracks and eliminate the witnesses."  
  
Allora leaned over the desk and thrust her face into Kryton's. "How stupid do you think I am?" she whispered hoarsely. "You don't think I could have seen through a simple mind trick?"  
  
"Remember," said Skor defensively, "Janus is... was a Jedi Master. His powers are beyond yours. He could easily have fooled you, or me, or nearly anyone."  
  
"Then why didn't he kill either of us when he had the chance? Or those two knights you brought with you? He is not a murderer."  
  
"I believe it best to let the Council decide that."  
  
Allora straightened her stance and looked Skor in the eye. "You stayed behind on the planet after the rest of us departed for Coruscant."  
  
Kryton shifted in his chair. "You know very well that as the head of the recovery expedition it is my duty to survey the surrounding area for evidence of any crimes committed."  
  
"Isn't it also your duty to turn in any evidence as soon as you find it?"  
  
Kryton suddenly took on a stern expression. "What exactly are you implying?"  
  
"You handed Xandro's blaster in as evidence when you returned from the planet, but I was there when he gave it to you. Before any of us left."  
  
Kryton shot to his feet. "These are very serious accusations, agent Leto."  
  
Allora backed away from the desk, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Guilty conscience, Skor? I haven't accused anyone of anything." She turned and paced towards the door. "Yet."   
  
* * * *  
  
It occurred to Allora that there was only one person who could give her the whole story. She sat patiently in front of a transparisteel wall waiting for his arrival. Before long a pair of heavily armed guards led the black-clad form of Xandro Janus through the door that led into the interrogation room on the other side of the wall. He sat on a stool facing his former companion as the guards took up positions by the door.   
  
"Just who I wanted to see," Xandro's sarcastic voice carried though the speakers on the sides of Allora's seat. The look of anger and hatred on his face terrified Allora, but she was not about to show it.  
  
"I'm here to help you, Xandro."  
  
"You're so good at that."  
  
"Are you aware of the reason that you are being kept here? You have been accused of killing the Dantari colony on Dantooine."  
  
Xandro's expression turned to one of shock. "What? But they were alive when we left!"  
  
"They're not now. And the Council claims you had motive and opportunity to do it. There's even some evidence. Now, I know you didn't do it, and I'm going to try and prove it, but I'll need your help to understand what led up to this. I want you to tell me everything."  
  
Xandro let out a sigh and looked at the ceiling. Finally he met Allora's gaze. "It started about three months ago. I had a padawan named M'rath. He was fresh out of the Academy, barely any real experience. Anyway, the Council sent us to Ryloth to mediate a peace conference between two fighting Twi'lek clans. It was supposed to be a good rookie mission. All M'rath had to do was watch the way I handled the proceedings.  
  
"His youth and inexperience got the better of him. He got bored and asked me if he could take in some if the sights of the planet. Since our duties were completed for the time being, I said he could if he promised not to go too far and to stay in contact. After a few minutes I began to have second thoughts and started after him. After all, he was a Quarren, and an aquatic species wandering around a desert world is not a good idea. When I finally caught up to him, I found him in battle with someone. Another Jedi. I tried to help him, but...." Xandro cast his eyes downward and breathed heavily. After a few seconds he continued. "I never even saw the attacker's face. He got away. I tried to help M'rath but the dry climate had weakened him, and my powers were too little too late." His voice trailed off as his hands clenched into tight fists.  
  
"And that's when the changes began," Allora noted.  
  
Xandro shot her an angry look. "Who wouldn't have been affected? I had struggled so long and hard to become a Jedi Master and earn the right to train a padawan." Xandro's expression softened and his eyes took on a far-away look as he remembered his padawan. "I was so proud when they assigned M'rath to me. I had such plans for him. Then I went and got him killed. No one could even think of a motive. He had never hurt anyone. He was innocent." Xandro started as if waking from a trance. "Sure, that changed me. I wanted to find out who the killer was and why he did it. I was angry, frustrated. Oh, the Council didn't like that. They think you show any kind of emotion and you're on a one-way trip to the Dark Side."  
  
"So what happened then?"  
  
"The Council told me their concerns over my negative emotion. They offered to get me 'help', to give me some kind of counseling to sort everything out. I refused."  
  
"Is that why they excommunicated you?"  
  
Xandro hung his head at the painful memory. "Not yet, but they started to get worried that I was a threat, a ticking bomb. They kept me in the order, but started using me less and less on missions. That gave me more time to think about M'rath and his killer. Eventually it became my personal mission to track down the slime and make him answer for the murder. That led to Dathomir."  
  
Allora's interest was piqued. "I read something about that in your file. What exactly happened there?"   
  
"I had been trying to gather clues about the killer's identity for months from various sources. finally I got a tip that he was on Dathomir and being helped by the Nightsisters, those dark Force-using witches. So I went to check it out. I asked the witches about the killer, but they denied knowing anything. It infuriated me that they would not cooperate. I attacked them and nearly wiped them out before I became convinced that they really didn't know anything.  
  
"That really got the Council's attention. They deemed my behavior 'unacceptable' and put me on heavy probation. They didn't kick me out of the order, though, because the Nightsisters used the Dark Side. It just happened that my attack suited their purposes.   
  
"After I failed to find the killer on Dathomir I became even more despondent. When I continued to reject any help, the Council decided that I was too dangerous to be allowed to keep my powers and be a Jedi. That's when they first tried to perform the process, but I escaped and ran to Dantooine. You know the rest. And if you read my file, you also know that no matter what state of mind I was in, I have never killed an innocent being."  
  
"I believe you," Allora assured him. "I also believe you're being set up by someone. I may even have an idea who, but I don't know why. I'm going to ask the Council for permission to investigate further and try to get some answers. Just sit tight, we'll get to the bottom of this. Thank you for your cooperation." She stood up to leave.  
  
"Allora," Xandro called as the guards approached to escort him from the room. She turned around, a curious look on her face. "Thanks for listening." Xandro walked with the guards to the door of the interrogation room. Allora smiled and headed for the Council chamber.  
  
* * * *  
  
Allora couldn't help feeling smug as she knocked on Skor Kryton's door, search warrant in hand. She was going to get some answers once and for all, and if Skor didn't like it he could take it up with the Council. Her smile faded a bit when there was no answer. She knocked again and waited for an answer, but still none came. Finally she asked the security guard accompanying her to open the door with his master key. He did so and the two entered. The office looked as though it had been hit by a Tatooine dust storm. Furniture and equipment were strewn everywhere, much of it smashed beyond recognition. *Stang,* Allora thought, *I never should have tipped him off that I suspected him.* She turned to the security guard. "Kryton left here in a hurry. He must have suspected we were on to him. Lock down the building and start a floor-by-floor search." The guard removed the comm device from his belt and relayed the orders to the security office. Allora scanned the office and noticed that the garbage chute door hung open. "And call the incinerator room," she told the guard. "Have them put a freeze on all refuse and find any that might have come from this office. Kryton may have tried to dispose of anything incriminating."  
  
Alarms began to sound in the hall, signaling that the search was under way. The guard's comm device beeped and he answered it. "It's the incinerator room," he told Allora. "They think they found something. They're bringing it up to the security office."  
  
* * * *  
  
Allora thanked the technician and took the small black garbage bag he handed to her. She peered inside to find two objects: a metallic cube and a data disk. "This cube is the holocron that Xandro found. This proves that Kryton was in the Dantari colony. Now, let's see what's on the disk." She placed the disk into the computer on her desk and tried to access it. "Stang, it's encrypted. I can't read it."  
  
"Let's try this," the guard said. He ran his fingers across the control panel and the computer screen came to life with flickering numbers and letters. "This program will find the encryption key," he explained. One by one the characters locked into place, showing that part of the code had been broken. At last the final character froze. The screen cleared, then displayed a document.   
  
Allora examined the screen, then announced that it seemed to be a letter from Kryton. She began to read it aloud.  
  
"Dear Senator:  
The fugitive Janus has just been found on Dantooine. I have   
managed to get myself placed as the head of the recovery team.   
The situation is better than we could have hoped. The Dantari   
colony nearby will allow me a perfect opportunity to bring him   
up on murder charges. Once he is out of the way, we can   
proceed with the plan to cleanse both the Senate and the Jedi   
order of nonhumans. I personally look forward to eliminating   
Yoda and the rest of the Council myself. As you say, their   
presence is a disease that weakens our organizations. Only   
when we humans reclaim our place as the dominant species in the   
galaxy can the Republic be restored to its former glory.   
Hail the Republic."  
  
Allora's mouth hung open as she absorbed the implications of what she had just read. She had just uncovered a conspiracy to eliminate nonhumans from positions of power across the galaxy. A conspiracy that reached all the way to the galactic Senate and included the demise of the Jedi Council members. She ejected the disk from the computer and ran to the Council chamber with her evidence.  
  
* * * *  
  
Xandro didn't even look up when the door to his quarters opened. He couldn't call it a cell really. It had a soft bunk, a vidscreen and even wall-to-wall carpeting. As he continued to gaze at the floor, a silver cylinder dropped onto that carpet between his feet.  
  
His lightsaber.  
  
He stared at it for a moment as if trying to decide if it was real. Finally he reached down to lift it. His fingers found their familiar positions as the handle seemed to reshape itself to fit his palm. For a split second he could have sworn he was a Jedi again. He slowly lifted his head to find Allora standing over him.  
  
"I believe that belongs to you," she said. Her face brightened into a smile. "You are free to go." When Xandro gave her a confused look, she continued. "Skor Kryton framed you for murder. After we left the planet, he stayed behind and used your blaster to kill the Dantari and steal the holocron you found. I had suspected him, but by the time I was able to search his office he had already left." She then recounted to Xandro the evidence they found and the plot they had uncovered.   
  
Xandro shook his head. "I know that Kryton and I weren't the best of friends, but why would he want to frame me?"  
  
"Apparently he was hoping you'd be executed. It seems you stood in the way of his plans somehow."  
  
"Has he been found?"  
  
"No, security has searched the entire building, but there's no sign of him. There's no telling how long ago he fled. But I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."  
  
"I'd like to be there when he does," Xandro growled. He gave a humorless chuckle. "So just like that, after all this, I'm free to go?"  
  
"In light of the new evidence, the Council has dropped all charges against you. The members apologize that they couldn't be here to tell you in person, but you can imagine that they have much work to do now."  
  
"Oh, I don't think they want to talk to me right now." He clipped the saber handle to his belt and strode past Allora and through the door. Suddenly he stopped and turned around. "You know something? You're all right. I mean, for someone who pretended to be my friend but turned out to be setting me up so that I could be brought back to Coruscant and have my Force abilities stripped away."  
  
The corner of Allora's mouth curled upward in a wry grin. "I'm glad you're taking this so well."  
  
"Hey, I'm still alive."  
  
"You're welcome. What are you going to do now?"  
  
Xandro fingered the handle of his weapon. "I've been without this baby for too long. I'm gonna go down to one of the training rooms and give it a spin before I leave. Find out if I can still use the thing without my powers."  
  
"Hey, Xandro," she called as he walked away. "You're not as bad as they say."  
  
"You tell them that and I'll kill you," he called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the corner. Allora had to smile at the joke. At least, she thought it was a joke.  
  
* * * *  
  
Xandro Janus stood in the center of the cavernous training room. It was late in the evening, an off-time for training. He had the whole place to himself. The white lights overhead illuminated the featureless dark gray walls and floor. He spread his feet apart and flexed his fingers, then in one smooth and swift motion detached the saber from his belt, ignited the blade and struck a defensive stance. A perfect quick draw. He smiled as he regarded the shimmering gray light. The saber was a simple powered weapon and could function even for someone with no Force abilities. Xandro did not have his powers anymore, but his skill with the blade had not diminished.   
  
He held the blade out straight in front of him, then thrust it forward at an imaginary opponent. He swung the blade high over his head and brought it down in a cutting arc, then performed a quick spin accompanied by a backhanded slice that left him facing the door with the weapon pointed straight outward. Xandro followed the line of the blade to find a figure standing in the doorway. He straightened his posture and smiled. He hadn't expected Allora to follow him here. "Came to watch me practice?"  
  
"Force knows you could use it, Janus," came a deep voice as the figure stepped into the light.   
  
Xandro's smile turned into a scowl when he caught a glimpse of the tall, muscular form. "Kryton."  
  
"So Leto found the disk I threw away, eh? Looks like the Council's not going to kill you after all," Kryton said, his voice dripping with disdain. A deep orange shaft of light extended from his fist as he approached the center of he room. "Well, if you want a job done right...." 


	8. 

"Finally found the guts to face me in a duel, Kryton?" Xandro placed both hands on his saber handle and held it out in a ready position. "Tell me why you set me up and I might let you live."  
  
Kryton reared his head back and bellowed a laugh. "You're pretty cocky for someone who just lost all of his powers. It's true, I did set you up, but as much as I dislike you, it was really nothing personal. You were just a loose end." He lowered his own weapon and the two warriors began to slowly circle each other.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"You don't have to understand, Janus. You just have to die." Kryton thrust his saber forward, but Xandro easily turned it aside with his own blade. He pressed the crossed weapons through a wide circular motion that placed them over the men's heads, then brought his saber straight down. Kryton spun to the left and Xandro's saber sliced through empty air, leaving Xandro in a hunched position. Kryton continued his spin and slashed downward towards his enemy's exposed neck. At the last second, Xandro ducked and shifted his body to the left as the saber passed over his head. He stood upright, a wisp of smoke rising from a patch of singed hair. Immediately he swung his blade to his right as Kryton's returned for another attack. The lightsabers crackled and flared fiercely as the two men pressed them together.  
  
"Not bad for a has-been," Kryton taunted. He lifted his saber to force Xandro backwards and delivered a solid kick to his chest. Xandro fell to his back and slid to a stop on the smooth training room floor. He arched his back and leaped to his feet just as Kryton rushed forward with Force-enhanced speed to deliver an elbow to his jaw. Xandro flipped over backwards and landed face down on the floor. As he hit, his saber deactivated and skittered out of his hand. He rolled onto his back to reach for it. Just before his fingers could grasp the handle, a heavy black boot came down on his forearm. Xandro suppressed a grunt of pain as Kryton moved to stand astride the fallen man's chest, the tip of his blade almost touching Xandro's throat. With a wave of Kryton's hand, Xandro's weapon slid across the floor until it hit a far wall. A wide smile crossed Kryton's lips as he pulled his hand back to deliver the final blow.   
  
The smile quickly disappeared as Xandro raised his lower body and wrapped his legs around the taller man's waist. He forced his legs downward and Kryton slammed into the hard floor with a grunt. Xandro freed himself from the tangle of limbs and grabbed Kryton's left wrist with one hand, immobilizing his foe's weapon. Xandro extended two fingers from his other hand and drove them into a pressure point in Kryton's left arm. Kryton let out a scream and dropped the saber. He placed his huge hand over Xandro's face and shoved him away. Xandro kicked the fallen weapon away as the two men regained their feet and squared off.  
  
"I see you've been practicing with a lightsaber," Xandro commented. "How are you in hand-to-hand?" He raised his open hands and shifted his weight from foot to foot, waiting for Kryton to make a move. Kryton balled his fists and lashed out with his left. Xandro twisted his body to the right to let the punch pass harmlessly by, then twisted to the left to dodge the follow-up punch from Kryton's right hand. Xandro stood with his right side facing his opponent and drove his right elbow into Kryton's chest, then swung the fist upward into Kryton's chin. The taller man took a step back, allowing Xandro to land a high kick to the throat. Kryton clutched his neck and coughed, struggling to catch his breath. Xandro backed off a few steps and resumed his ready stance. "Just as I thought. You spent all your training time with a weapon in your hand. You rely on them too much. That's one reason you were never good enough to become a Master. If you have a few days, I could list the others for you."  
  
Kryton's features twisted with rage. He bent his head forward and charged at Xandro. Just before the impact, Xandro planted his hands on Kryton's shoulders and vaulted over the charging man. As Kryton passed underneath, Xandro kicked his feet straight out and into the back of Kryton's head. Kryton plowed face first to the floor and lay still for a moment. Finally he rolled onto his back, turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood.   
  
"Enough of this," Kryton snarled as he stood to face his opponent. Again he boosted his speed and rushed forward. Xandro was prepared this time, and leaped to one side to avoid the blow. He grabbed Kryton's left arm as he passed and swept his leg into the path of his attacker's feet. Kryton tripped and spun to the ground with such force that the left sleeve of his robe tore of in Xandro's hand. Xandro flung the strip of cloth to the ground and watched as his opponent stood, slowly and painfully. Xandro began to shift his weight back and forth again, but froze when Kryton turned to face him.   
  
On Kryton's left arm was a tattoo of an eye encircled by stars.   
  
Kryton saw his enemy turn red with rage and for a second wondered why. Then it came to him. "Oh, this," he said, indicating the marking on his arm. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" he said with a grin.   
  
Xandro could only stand and stare. "Why?" he finally managed to ask.  
  
"For the glory of the Republic, and the Jedi Order," came the reply. "There is a movement in effect to restore humans to their rightful place as leaders of the galaxy, and it has more members in more places than you can imagine. We realize that in order to become strong, we must be rid of those filthy lower life forms. The plan was only to remove those in power first. Senators, Jedi Council members, things like that. Just to send a message to the rest of them that they're not welcome. Your padawan was merely a target of opportunity."  
  
"You killed M'rath just because he wasn't human?" asked Xandro, his voice quaking with anger and disbelief.   
  
"Was that his name? You know they all look the same."   
  
Xandro let out a scream and charged at Kryton. Kryton held out his palm and Xandro hurtled backwards through the air and landed hard on his back. Kryton continued as if nothing had happened. "When it came time to choose Jedi to send to the conference on Ryloth we chose you and your padawan, knowing that a squidhead on a desert world would be an easy mark. The only problem was that you were a witness. The movement members were able to prevent you from tracking the 'rogue Jedi' down, but there was always a chance you could get lucky and find something out. It took some time, but we finally convinced the Council to remove your powers and ban you from the Order. When you escaped to Dantooine, we realized that we had an opportunity for a more permanent solution."  
  
Xandro slowly got to his feet. "So you killed the Dantari with my blaster and tried to have me executed for the murder."  
  
"It was much cleaner than having to kill you myself, although not nearly as enjoyable. Of course, now that you know so much, I'm going to get to do that anyway." Kryton held his palm out toward where his lightsaber lay on the floor and it flew into his hand. He regarded the orange blade as it flared to life. "You know, after our battle on Ryloth I was able to heal my broken arm and burnt hand, but the crystal in my old green lightsaber was cracked and useless. I liked that one, too. But I did a decent job building this new one, wouldn't you say?"  
  
Xandro slowly slid his fingers towards the holster on his belt as Kryton stared into the fiery glow of the saber. His hand closed around empty air, and he remembered that his blaster had been taken away when he woke up. *Stang, why is nothing ever where it should be?* He clenched his fists and stared at Kryton. "Too bad that thing won't make you a better fighter. You know you could never defeat me."  
  
Kryton looked up to examine his opponent. "If you still had your powers, I would agree with you, but now the advantage is mine." He slowly brandished his weapon in front of his body.   
  
Xandro's eyes darted around the room, trying to locate his own lightsaber. He found it lying on the floor far behind Kryton. If he could reach it he was certain he could defeat Kryton in a fair duel. He knew, however, that Kryton was not about to let him just walk over and grab it. He also knew that Kryton was not about to fight fair. Xandro tried to think of something, anything that would distract his enemy enough to give him a fighting chance. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied the door that led up to the training room's control center. *That just might work,* he thought.  
  
"You're right," Xandro sighed. Kryton looked at his foe with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "I don't stand a chance without my Force powers. I give up." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.  
  
Kryton gave a hash chuckle as he looked Xandro up and down. "Maybe you're smarter than I thought, Janus. You've just made things a lot easier on yourself." He raised his lightsaber to strike his opponent down. When he held it high over his head, Xandro thrust his hands into pressure points on the sides of Kryton's neck. Kryton froze in a silent scream as Xandro sprinted for the control room door.  
  
He leaped up the stairway three steps at a time. He was almost at the top when he heard Kryton push through the door at the bottom. In two long hops, Kryton was at the top of the stairs. He spied Xandro hunched over a control panel, frantically pressing buttons and flipping switches. Kryton lunged and brought his lightsaber down.  
  
Xandro heard a grunt behind him and spun around, sinking to the floor. Kryton's blade smashed through the control panel, stopping just inches above Xandro's face. Xandro kicked his legs upward into Kryton's midsection, sending Kryton sprawling into a computer bank at the back of the room. Xandro sprang towards his enemy, trying to get his hands around Kryton's neck. Kryton drew his saber back for a swing and plunged it into the computers behind him, causing an explosion that propelled both men through the windows in the front of the room and twenty feet down to the training room floor.  
  
Kryton lay on his singed back amid a shower of shattered glass. He pushed Xandro's limp form off of his body and stood to catch his breath. Xandro opened his eyes and tried to regain some of the wind that the fall had knocked out of him. Kryton hefted his weapon over his head and prepared to strike.  
  
The tinkling of glass was replaced by a soft female voice emanating from the training room speakers. "Training session engaged. Phase one, initialize." Kryton had just began to swing his blade down onto Xandro's body when a laser cannon emerged from a recess in the wall just in front of him. It released a blast of energy that struck the lightsaber blade and blew him backwards. Xandro rolled to his feet and started towards the far wall of the training room.   
  
Rows of laser cannons emerged on each wall of the room, tracking the two men.  
Kryton saw Xandro running for his lightsaber, but was too busy using his own to deflect laser blasts to do anything about it. Xandro slowly made his way to the wall where his weapon lay, his aching form weaving, rolling and jumping out of the way whenever a bolt of energy sizzled towards him. At last he held the weapon in his hand and ignited it, trying to deflect shots as he worked his way toward his padawan's killer. Even without his Force powers his skill with a lightsaber was enough to allow him to turn most of the shots, but occasionally a bolt would penetrate his defenses and send him sprawling to the floor. *Stang,* he thought, *it's a good thing these training lasers are set to low power.*  
  
The hail of laser bolts ended as quickly as it began. "Phase one end," came the female voice of the training room computer. "Phase two, initialize." The two men readied their sabers and charged each other as the blasters retracted into the wall. They were nearly knocked off their feet when the floor of the room began to rumble and quake. On the far side of the room, the floor began to rise in certain places and sink in others, shifting to create platforms of differing heights. Sections of the walls swung downward to meet the new platforms. In still other places, metal rods extended from the walls and floor to create obstacles.   
  
Kryton and Xandro were nearly close enough to touch each other when a triple row of metal rods shot from the walls, forming a fence between them. Kryton swung his blade between the widely separated bars, nearly severing Xandro's body at the waist. Just before the attack hit, Xandro dropped to the floor and slid feet first under the lowest rod, plowing into Kryton's legs and knocking him to the ground. He then quickly got to his feet and sprinted for the training battle ground across the room.   
  
"Coward!", Kryton bellowed. "Come back and face me!" He hurled his weapon at his opponent, using the Force to guide its flight. Xandro peeked over his shoulder to see the glowing orange shaft spinning towards him, then deactivated his own lightsaber and clipped it to his belt. He reached the obstacle platforms and jumped to grab onto a protruding bar. He raised his lower body up to the bar and the blazing blade sliced through the air just below him. He pulled himself completely over the bar and reached up to grab the side of a raised platform.   
  
Kryton jerked his outstretched hand upward to guide the flying saber towards Xandro. The weapon spun toward the platform but glanced off the edge as Xandro hauled himself up. As the flying blade rose for another attack, Xandro ignited his weapon and parried. The force of the swing broke Kryton's control and the orange lightsaber shut down and clattered to the ground below. Kryton extended his hand to call the weapon to him, but it would not respond. Using the Force to enhance his vision, Kryton saw that the handle was wedged against a wall by a metal bar.   
  
Kryton cursed and glared upward to see Xandro replace his saber handle on his hip. He ran to the obstacle structure and bounded to the top of a low platform. From there, he deftly jumped between rods and platforms until he stood face to face with Xandro. "I don't need a weapon," he sneered. "I'll finish this with my bare hands." He struck an offensive pose and started towards Xandro, who had assumed a defensive posture. Kryton lunged forward, his fists drawn back to strike. Xandro stepped to one side and hooked his right hand under Kryton's arm, then flung the larger man to the floor of the platform.   
  
Just as Kryton raised himself for another attack, the female voice returned. "Phase three, initialize." The platform shuddered and started to sink towards the floor below. The two men looked around them to find the various bars and platforms now in motion, some raising and lowering while others swung from side to side. The warriors ducked to avoid a bar swinging just above their heads. As it passed, Xandro leapt onto it and let it carry him to another platform. Kryton was about to follow when he looked down and noticed that the sudden shifting had knocked his lightsaber loose. He called it into his open hand and ignited it, then leaped onto Xandro's platform.   
  
Xandro activated his own blade and the two met with a resounding crack. Both men swung and parried as their platform moved along in its vertical track, occasionally ducking under or hopping over a swinging bar. With each parried attack, Kryton grew more furious. Finally he could take no more. "This ends NOW!", he shouted. He thrust his hand forward, using the Force to launch his opponent off the platform at the height of its travel. Xandro flew off the edge with a mixture of fear and surprise on his face.   
  
Kryton smiled to himself. *Without his powers, there's no way he could survive a fall like that.* He deactivated his lightsaber and relaxed his tired and battered body. As the platform began its descent, he relished the thought that he had finally rid himself of his most dangerous enemy.   
  
His thought was cut short by a sharp yell below him. He moved to the edge of the platform and peered over the side in time to see Xandro clinging to a rid that was traveling towards the platform. The bar swung across the top of the descending platform and Xandro delivered a savage kick to his opponent. The added force of the moving bar knocked Kryton from the platform to the floor of the training room.   
  
Kryton lay on the floor, stunned and in incredible pain. Slowly he stood and moved towards the obstacle structure. Never before had he felt so much rage and hatred. The emotions coursed through him, seeming to enhance the power of the Force in his body. His face darkened into a mask of intense anger and evil. With a sense of power greater than he had ever known, he extended his arms towards the structure. Immense crackling bolts of pure dark Force energy skittered all across the surface of the bars and platforms. Xandro screamed in pain as the Force lightning reached the platform where he stood, penetrating his body with wave after wave of searing pain. Finally the platform reached its lowest point and Xandro jumped off to the floor.   
  
An evil grin played across Kryton's face as he paced toward Xandro. His staggering gait made it seem that the lightning hurt him almost as much as his foe. He stood over Xandro, shivering and gasping for breath on the cold floor. *Phase three, end," came the voice again. "Training session complete. Have a nice day." The bars and platforms returned to their original positions and retracted into the walls and floor.   
  
"It's over, Janus," snarled Kryton. His voice had changed to match his appearance, cold and dripping with hatred. He stood over Xandro and kicked him in the ribs, rolling him over. "You should know that the so-called evidence your friend found won't change anything." He kicked Xandro again. "As far as they know, this whole thing was a plot between me and a senator. They have no idea of the scope of the movement. They don't know that there are operatives throughout the galaxy, even in the Senate and the Jedi order. It will live on, and it will be victorious." Kryton held his hands apart and dark bolts of energy arced between them. "You alone know the truth, and now it dies with you."  
  
"Don't be so sure, Skor."  
  
A startled Kryton whirled around to find the source of the voice. He saw the familiar form of Allora Leto striding through the door with comm device in hand. "Did you get all that?" she asked.  
  
"Every word, agent Leto," came the reply from the communicator. "Security and medical teams are en route."  
  
Allora clipped the comm device to her belt. "It really is over, Kryton. Now that we know the scope of your operation we can begin action against it."  
  
Kryton scowled deeply at Allora. "I knew you'd be trouble," he said in a voice like the grinding of stone. "I should have finished you on Dantooine." Kryton released his charge of Force lightning at the woman, knocking her screaming off her feet and across the floor.   
  
A security team burst into the training room but halted when they saw Allora twitching on the floor. They hung back by the entrance, blasters at the ready. "Skor Kryton," the leader called, "you are under arrest. Step away from agent Leto and come with us."   
  
Kryton turned towards them and loosed a blast of lightning into their midst. The team was pushed back, dropping their weapons in the process. "You fools!", Kryton screeched. "You cannot defeat me! I will kill you all, like I did the Quarren!" Allora and the officers could only watch as Kryton raised his hands, crackling with dark lightning, for a finishing blow. His face contorted into an evil mockery of a smile. "Like I will all...."  
  
His boast was cut short by a sharp pain. His smile fell into an expression of shock as he looked down to see a shaft of glowing grey light protruding from his stomach. His hands fell limply to his sides as the blade rose slowly towards his chest, his skin popping and sizzling as it went. The stench of burning flesh filled the training room as Allora and the others watched in shock. Finally the lightsaber carved its way through the top of Kryton's head. The dead Jedi's body fell apart in two pieces, exposing the smoking and battered form of Xandro Janus standing behind. Xandro clipped his weapon to his belt and collapsed.  
  
* * * *  
  
Goja sat in his favorite tattered chair, his complete attention fixed on his old friend. "So what happened then?" he asked eagerly.   
  
"Well," Xandro replied, "I don't remember too much after the fight. I woke up a few hours later in the medical ward feeling like a rancor's chew toy. After the adrenaline rush wore off I really felt all those wounds Kryton gave me." He reached for the drink sitting on the table next to him, exposing his bandage covered arms.  
  
"Doesn't that hurt?" Goja inquired, nodding towards the appendages.  
  
Xandro took a sip of the bright blue liquid in the glass. "Not after a few of these," he coughed. "Any way, there I was laying in bed, and who comes to see me but Mace Windu himself?"  
  
Goja bolted upright in his chair. "Really? What did he say?"  
  
"He congratulated me for a job well done, exposing the conspiracy, saving lives and all that. Gave me back my belongings. He apologized for almost killing me."  
  
"How magnanimous," Goja quipped sarcastically. "Did he also apologize for taking away your powers? Like it would do any good. I still can't believe they did that."  
  
"He did, actually." Xandro lowered his voice into a perfect imitation of Mace Windu's. "In light of recent events, the Council has decided that you were not directly responsible for the skirmish with the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and were never a true risk to the Order. Unfortunately, we cannot restore your Force sensitivity." Goja laughed like a chattering mynock as Xandro continued in his own voice. "He said I should get some rest after all I've been through, then think about whether I'd like to rejoin the Order as a special operative."  
  
Goja stopped laughing. "What did you say? Are you going to do it?"  
  
"I basically said 'don't call me, I'll call you'".  
  
"Ha, good for you! You're a lot better off without those stuck-up hypocrites, especially if there are conspirators among them. And it's about time someone told off that blowhard Windu."  
  
"You know, I actually do feel a lot better now. Not just because I got to avenge M'rath. I have this sense of freedom now, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I was beginning to get pretty disenchanted with the Order, you know. Still, life without the Force is going to take some getting used to." He looked down at his bandaged hands. "A lot of getting used to."  
  
"Hey, whatever happened to that Leto woman? Did you ever see her again?"  
  
Xandro seemed surprised by the mention of his former companion. "Allora? No, she's one of the Order's top agents. They shipped her out when they started operations to check into this anti-alien thing."  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" Goja inquired.  
  
"I don't know," Xandro sighed. "Maybe do some traveling. There are still lots of places I've never seen. It's a big galaxy, something will come up."  
  
"Yeah," Goja said, "something's always happening. Hey, who knows, maybe the Sith will even reappear and start another war with the Jedi." The two sat in silence for a second before exploding into laughter.  
  
"Goja, you joker," Xandro said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Well, thanks for the drinks, but I really should get going. I just wanted to let you know what was happening."  
  
"Always good to see a friendly face. Even one as ugly as yours," the small man jested. "Don't you forget old Goja now."  
  
"I should be so lucky," Xandro smiled. He stepped through the office door into the chaos of the Underworld club and made his way out into the Coruscant night.  
  
THE END 


End file.
